Pizza Making!

Ok the pizza is not exactly symetrical but the dough tasted really good! Found this recipe to make the pizza dough in the bread making machine.

Put ingredients into your bread machine in this order:

• 1 cup warm water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1.5 teaspoons sea salt
• 3 cups sprouted spelt flour (or your favorite whole-grain flour, or bread flour)
• 2.5 teaspoons active dry yeast

Set your machine for dough cycle (mine takes one hour and 50 minutes) and be sure to check about five minutes into kneading to make sure your dough is a smooth ball. You may need to add a little more water or a smidge more flour, depending.

After adding my desired toppings, I pop these pizzas in the oven at 200 degrees for about 14-16 minutes.

Peanut Butter, Cheese and Seaweed Sandwich

Yes....I know it sounds and looks really gross! But it was my proud invention when I was a kid and I still love it till now. I remember my friends would look at me with great disgust when they heard about this sandwich. The ingredients are simple, just spread peanut butter, place a slice of cheese and put in seaweed on a slice of bread. The taste is a mix of salty, sweet and crunchy.....wierd but I love it!

The best part is I have convereted one of my kids! Jedi loves it too! Hopefully it passes on to the next generation if they have such wierd tastes!

Old-fashioned Potato Salad

Ingredients Needed:
potatoes – 6 medium sized potatoes
(boil potatoes until tender, drain, cool and cut into medium sized pieces)

hard cooked eggs – (2) cut into medium sized pieces

all natural Japanese mayonnaise – 1/2 cup or to desired moistness

1 cup of sour cream

two teaspoons Dijon Mustard

fresh dill – 1 tbsp finely chopped

two teaspoons sugar

a little salt

bacon bits
Make Ahead:
- Boil 6 medium potatoes until tender,cool and cut into bite size pieces
- Hard boil 2 eggs, cool and cut into pieces

- Mix everyting in a bowl together and stir in bacon bits and dill.

- Refrigerate the night before.

Herbal Chicken

Tried making an old family favourite of herbal chicken but think would have been nicer with the skin on although not so healthy. A quick nice dish on  a cool, rainy day.

1. boil all herbal ingredients in a small pot with water just covering the herbs

2. add a little soya sauce and chicken stock and boil for about half an hour

3. wash chicken

4. stuff cooked herbs into chicken and put remainder below chicken and pour remaining stock over uncooked chicken

5. wrap up chicken in foil and steam for an hour.

6. serve with warm rice and vegetables

Stir-Fried Green Marrow with Prawns

A simple veggie dish for the family. Soft enough for the kiddies and not too much fibre to chew but full of nutrition. Heard the green marrow helps to build up the immunity. Not sure how true but I guess all veggies are good!

Ingredients:
2 green marrows(skinned and sliced)
6 prawns, shelled, cleaned and sliced
1 tsp of chopped garlic
2 beaten eggs (already mixed with a little sugar and light soya sauce)

- heat oil in wok and stir fry the garlic till fragrant
- then add in sliced green marrow and fry till a little soft
- add in prawns and fry till changes colour
- add in a little sugar, scallop sauce and fry till well-mixed
- add in beaten eggs and cover lid of wok for a few minutes
- when egg is almost set stir all together

Stir-Fried Asparagus with Baby Corn and Stewed Pork

Ingredients:
1 packet of asparagus
1 packet of fresh baby corn
1 small tin of stewed pork ribs (Narcissus brand)
1 tsp of garlic
1 tsp oyster sauce

- add oil to wok and fry garlic till fragrant
- add in sliced asparagus and fresh corn and stir fry till colour changes
- add in stewed pork and add a little brown sugar and oyster sauce
- give a good stir and close wok lid to let mix simmer for a few min
- serve hot with rice

Apple Crumble

Best served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. :)

Fairy Cakes

Used the Greens Cake Mix for English Tea Cake.

Surprisingly easy as just add eggs, milk, butter and blend. Bake and voila! Then just decorate with your own toppings. Chose the colourful ones to make them into Fairy Cakes for the kids.

Chicken and Avocado Sandwich!

 I just loooooooooooooooooooove avacados! Especially after my last trip to Perth where the avocados there were so lovely. Green and creamy and we had great home-made salads made by my dad. I found them in Singapore but they were like rocks! so not to be daunted I went to do some research on how to get the perrrrrfect avocado. And I was pleasantly surprised! All you have to do is to wrap the unripe avocadoes individually in newspaper and check them every day or so. Once they have become a little soft they are ready to eat!

Anyways, my mum-in-law always makes lovely soups with lots of chicken meat which usually dosen't get eaten. So instead of throwing it away, I shredded it and mixed it with a little salt, sugar, basil leaves and Japanese Mayonaise. Got two pieces of buttered bread, put the chicken and some chunks of avocado and voila! A healthy and delicious meal with a 'recycling' feel!

Happy Meal at MummyDonald's!

The kids have been sick of all the spaghetti and baked pasta every time I use minced beef. I personaly have been thinking about burgers (not the most healthy thing) as I am loving the Cheese Shaker fries from Macs. So I decided to use the minced beef to make my own patties. Pan fried them after seasoning and added them to buttered burger buns with cheese and tomato ketchup. The fires were oven baked and since I had an extra packet of the Cheese Shaker fries from Macs, I sprinkled it over them. Kids were delighted! Contented tummies with a slightly healthier version of the Happy Meal at home.

Jelly Hearts Cheesecake

Ingredients:

For the crust-

300 grams digestive biscuits

150 grams melted butter

For the cheesecake layer-

500 grams cream cheese (placed in room temperature for 2 to 3 hours to soften)

1 tablespoon &1/2 gelatin powder

1 cup &1/4 boiling water

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

12 strawberries

For the jelly layer-

160 grams strawberry flavoured jelly

1 cup &1/2 boiling water

1 cup &1/2 cold water

Preparation:

1Place 150g of butter in a oven proof bowl.

2Cover the bowl loosely with cling film wrap or use a microwave oven food cover. Microwave for 30 to 40 seconds at high till butter is melted.

3Dip a brush into the melted butter and butter a large rectangular pan generously. I used a 13 X 10 X 2 inch glass pan.

4Note: You can line the pan with a large piece baking paper. This will make removal of the jelly hearts from the pan alot easier. And you wouldn’t have to worry about the crust sticking to the base of the pan. If you line the pan with baking paper, butter the baking paper all over as well.

5Place 300g of digestive biscuits in a food processor. Process till they become fine crumbs.

6Place the crumbs in a large bowl and add the melted butter. Stir well to combine.

7Place the biscuits-butter mixture in the pan. Using a potato masher or a large glass with a flat surface, pack the mixture tightly into the pan.

8Once the crust is made, place the pan in the fridge and chill until ready to use.

9Add 1 & 1/2 tablespoons of gelatin powder in a bowl. Add 1 & 1/4 cups of boiling water to the gelatin powder. Stir well till all the gelatin has dissolved. Set aside to cool.

10Place 500g of cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. Add 2/3 cups of sugar.

11Using an electric whisk, combine the cheese and sugar. The cream cheese must be soft otherwise it will be very hard to mix here. Whisk till the mixture is light and fluffy.

12Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the cream cheese mixture.

13Add the cooled gelatin mixture a little at a time. Whisk well to combine.

14The finished mixture should be a runny smooth liquid. Like a milkshake. If there are lumps, run the mixture through a sieve.

15Remove the pan from the fridge. Using a fork, prick holes all over the biscuit base.

16Pour the cream cheese mixture on to the biscuit base.

17Let the mixture rest in room temperature for about 10 minutes.

18In the meantime, cut the strawberries. Cut them first in half. Look for the thicker side and cut lengthwise across it so that each strawberry heart is thick. Then at the top of the strawberries, slice off the white tops with the leaves and cut a deep V in the centre.

19Press each strawberry half into the cream cheese mixture. Let the strawberry sink in gently. Space the strawberries 1 inch to 1.5 inches apart. Cover the pan with cling film wrap.

20Place the pan in the fridge. Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

21Use strawberry jelly powder to make the top layer. Place 160g strawberry jelly powder in a bowl. Add 1 & 1/2 cups of boiling water. Whisk well till jelly powder has dissolved. Add 1 & 1/2 cups of cold water. Mix well.

22Ensure that the jelly-water mixture has cooled. And pour it over the cream cheese layer.

23Pour just enough jelly to cover the strawberries.

24Cover with cling film wrap again. Chill for at least 4 hours.

25Use a sharp knife with a thin blade to cut the jelly hearts. Prepare a large jar of boiling water. Dip the knife into the water. Wipe it off and cut. Repeat that with every cut to get a nice clean cut with no crumbs sticking at the sides.

26If you lined the pan with baking paper, the crust should not stick to the pan. If you didn’t line with baking paper, set the pan on a hot/warm surface for a few minutes before removing the jelly hearts. The heat will warm the butter at the base and make it easier to remove the jelly hearts.

27Cut into nice small pieces of jelly hearts cheese cake.

28Store covered in the fridge.

Recipe from : http://www.foodista.com/recipe/DCQLWDBL/strawberry-jelly-hearts

Tau Ge with Luncheon Meat

A recipe from over the phone with my dad in Perth.

Ingredients:
1 small packet of Tau Ge (bean sprouts)
half a can of Spam Lite (diced)
1 tsp of chopped garlic
1 tsp light soya sauce
1 tsp sugar

Fry gralic in 2 TBSP oil till fragrant. Then fry luncheon meat till slightly brown. Add in tau ge and stir fry for about 3 min. Add in light sauce and sugar towards the end and serve hot.

Thanks Papa for the quick recipe! nice comfort food! :)

Beef with Broccoli in Oyster Sauce

Again another recipe from my momma's old book!

Ingredients:
2/3 lb beef tenderloin (marinate in 1TBS. cornstarch, 1 TBS soy sauce, 1/2 TBS DOM, 1/2 TBS water - for 1 hour)
2 TBS oil
200g broccoli
1/2 white onion (sliced)
6 slices of ginger

Mix:
3 TBS water
1 1/2 TBS oyster sauce
1 TBS soy sauce
1/2 TBS Taucheou
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon sugar
dash of pepper and sesame oil

1. heat wok and add oil
2. stir fry onion and ginger till fragrant
3. add in meat and stir fry till colour changes
4. add in broccoli
5. add in sauce mixture and simmer for a few minutes
6. serve hot!

Japanese Butter-Fried Salmon

Found an old Japanese recipe book my mum's friend gave her a loooooong time ago in 1987! Saw it was an easy recipe and with minimal steps! (I Like!) Thanks mommy! :)

4 slices salmon
2Tbsp Butter
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp soy sauce
pepper

1) sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper
2) melt butter in frying pan. Add salmon slices one by one. Turn from time to time and fry for 7 min or until brown
3) Add soy sauce and turn off heat

Adding a few drops of olive oil will prevent butter from burning when cooking.

Homemade Barley Water with Candied Winter Melon

The weather has been so hot lately so have been making this for the family to cool down. Best when chilled!

Ingredients
200g pearl barley
100g candied winter melon
150g rock sugar
2 litres water
2 Pandan leaves

Directions

1. Bring the water to a boil
2. Add the pearl barley, candied winter melon and rock sugar and pandan leaves
3. Simmer everything on low heat for 45 minutes or until the water turns whitish
4. Cool slightly before straining. Remove barley and pandan leaves or drink will be slimey.
5. You can save some of the pearl barley and add back to the water before serving. Do not leave the pearl barley in the water as it will expand and soak up some of the liquid
6. Serve warm or chilled

Making Fruit Kebabs the Ratatouille Way!

Had a picnic recently and had fun with our two older kiddies preparing the snacks. This was inspired by the show 'Ratatouille' where the mouse enjoyed combining strawberries with cheese. Honestly a little wierd but looked pretty and tasted not bad....

Fish and Chippies!

Ingredients:
1. fish fillets
2.1 tsp salt
3. 1 tsp sugar
4.  corn flour for dipping
5. 1 egg yolk

Method:
1. Mariante fish fillets in sugar, salt and egg yolk
2. before frying dip and coat evenly in corn flour
3. fry till fish bubbles to the surface

Sauce:

1. 1/2 white onion
2. 2 tomatoes
3. 3tbs of ketchup
4. 2 tsp sugar
5. 2 tsp soya sauce
6. fry onions and tomatoes till softenened and then add ingredients 3-5 and water and bring to a boil. serve over fish or separate if desired.


And the kids had their own wersion:

For a healthier version, bake the fries at 220 degrees in the oven. Season with a little salt and serve!

Baked Mozarella Bolognese Macoroni with Minced Beef

Ingredients:

- 3/4 packet of elbow macoroni pasta

- sliced shitake/ button mushrooms

- minced beef

- 1 white onion (sliced)

- mozarella cheese

- Leggo's Bolognese Sauce

Method:

1. marinate minced beef with a little salt, a dash of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of corn flour, a tsp of sugar for at leat 30 min

2. stir fry sliced onions with minced beef and sliced mushrooms till 3/4 cooked

3. pour in Leggo's Bolognese Sauce and bring to a boil

4. boil macoroni in olive oil and a little salt for abt 15 min. drain and place in a casserole dish

5. pour sauce with cooked ingredients on top

6. sprinkle mozarealla cheese generously

7. bake for abt 30 min.

YumS!

Assam Fish

Ingredients:
Sea Bass or any fish of choice
Assam Fish Paste
3-5 chili padis (depending how hot you want it)
1 White Onion (wedges)
2 sprigs of Lemon Grass
2 Tomatoes (wedges)
100g Lady's Fingers (washed and sliced into chunky pieces)

Method:
1.Heat 1 TBS of oil in wok and fry onions and chili padis until fragrant.
2. Add Assam Fish Paste and add 300ml of water and bring to a boil
3. Add in Lemon Grass, Tomatoes and Lady's Fingers and simmer (cover lid) for approx 7-10 min
4. Add in fish and simmer with gravy and cooked ingredients for another 10 min (cover lid)
5. serve hot with hot rice

Baked Mozarella Tortillas

Made this one of the days as a quick-fix lunch for myself and ate it in front of my older two kids when they were having 'proper' food like rice, vege and meat. They ended up snitching little bites here and there instead of their own meal! Made it the next day for their lunch. I love this recipe as it's a great time-saver for hungry tums! Doesn't look so pretty but its a munch and go foodie! (hee I'm just giving excuses for the poor presentation!)

Ingredients:
tortilla wraps
shredded cold chicken (cooked) /ham
a dash of mayonaise
a little ketchup
mozzarella cheese
Directions:
Spread the mayonaise and ketchup on one side of the tortilla. Place shredded meat on top. Sprinkle generously with mozzarella cheese. Wrap up tortilla carefully and place on non-stick baking tray. Bake in oven at 180 degrees for about 7 min. Eat hot! The cheese is oozy!